Torres to Chelsea, Odewingie’s infamous QPR appearance and Kaka spotted at Seven Sisters… Jim White recalls his best ever transfer deadline stories on Mail Sport’s It’s All Kicking Off LIVE show

With Friday’s transfer deadline fast approaching, few have more insight into what it takes to stay at the center of all the action than former Sky Sports presenter Jim White.

The 66-year-old spent 23 years at Sky, where he became iconic for his bright yellow tie and deadline day presentation.

As such, the Scot was featured on Mail Sport’s Transfer News Live 48 hours before Friday’s deadline, sharing some of his fondest memories of past deadline days, having covered some 44 iterations himself in the past .

White joined Mail Sport writers Craig Hope and Sami Mokbel in the studio on Thursday night, with just over 24 hours left in what was already a seismic transfer window.

And he remembered the impact of the early Deadline Day shows, saying, “The nature of it (Transfer Deadline Day) – the countdown character of it – is critical, and people believe in that!

QPR were stunned when Peter Odemwingie turned up uninvited at the club on deadline day

Then QPR boss Harry Redknapp told Odemwingie to wait in a hotel while the club worked to finalize the deal

“When it started, the first two or three had a big impact on the general public, they loved it, and then of course everyone gets involved. I think I did 44 or something, but everyone always says “is that the best you’ve done, the last one?” and I always said, “No, next!”‘

But it wasn’t long before White recounted some of his favorite memories of past deadlines, including some now-infamous incidents.

“I was in a panic the night (Mesut) Ozil went to Arsenal, I remember – was that going to happen, wasn’t it?” he started. “(Andrey) Arshavin – they had to get extra time to get that over the line because of the weather wherever he came in.

“Peter Odemwingie is a standout, he just pitches at Loftus Road and says, ‘Hi, someone is interviewing me because I’d like to sign for QPR’

“One highlight: I never thought it would actually happen. Did you really think Fernando Torres would go to Chelsea for £50 million?! And yet he did. I couldn’t believe it, and I was in the middle of everything and I couldn’t believe what was going on.

‘No deadline day was complete without Harry Redknapp, he’s been great for so many years – whether it was arriving with the window down and saying, ‘You okay? Would you like a cup of tea?’ or when he entered the studio.

“Harry was great because he believed in it, and as long as people believe in it, it’s drama and theater that consumes the country!”

For White, however, there were also dangers in believing too much in every rumor that surfaced during the deadline day drama, with even more far-fetched tips emerging as the clock ticked.

Rival clubs were left furious when Arsenal announced the signing of Russian Euro 2008 star Andrei Arshavin almost 24 hours after the January 2009 deadline had passed.

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti poses with record £50million signing Fernando Torres in 2011

Mesut Ozil signed for Arsenal in 2013 for a record £42.5 million from Real Madrid

White once got a false tip that Kaka had been pictured at Seven Sisters in London on deadline day

“So many people send you on a wild quest, you can’t possibly believe everything you’re told or you’ll end up in very deep water.

“I remember getting a text from someone saying, ‘Jim, I wouldn’t be doing this if it wasn’t real, I’m standing next to Kaka and I’m at the Seven Sisters station!’ and I said, “No, you’re not – and he’s not here!”

Not every warning resulted in a bank-breaking transfer deal, however, as White hilariously told Mail Sport viewers.

“I remember being on the phone one hectic night and saying, ‘We’re getting information all the time!’ And I looked down and saw a text message, but it was a reminder for a dentist appointment!’